At-Home Colon Cancer Screenings Recommended

Monday, December 1st, 2008

At-home colon cancer screenings are recommended by a Canadian campaign that recently launched. The campaign effort is to help stop the development of the cancer. And that may just happen if people take at-home colon cancer screenings, which will ideally detect colon cancer before it gets worse.

Put together by the Canadian Health Research Institute, the campaign urges people to take part in at-home colon cancer screenings because the survival rate is thought to  be over 90 percent when the cancer is caught early. When colon cancer is caught early, it is thought to be highly curable.

The Canadian Health Research Institute hopes that by taking these tests, people with colon cancer will have it detected before it gets worse. Since colon cancer is the second deadliest type of cancer in Canada, it makes sense that this campaign was launched.

Also known as colorectal cancer or large bowel cancer, colon cancer causes over 655,000 deaths every year, all over the world. University of Utah researchers were able to trace a gene mutation for colon cancer back to Mr. and Mrs. George Frye, some of the very first settlers to the New World. If you carry the mutation, there’s a 70 percent chance of getting colon cancer, while a 4 percent chance is there for those without the gene.

The third leading cause of cancer death in the United States, colon cancer begins as benign polyps, which are abnormal growths in the large intestine. Later, these polyps become cancerous. Abdominal pain, unknown weight loss and diarrhea are some of the symptoms of colon cancer.

Get an At-Home Colon Cancer Screening

So take a tip from this Canadian campaign and get an at-home colon cancer screening. HealthCheckUSA offers a colon cancer screening, the fecal occult blood test (FOBT). The FOBT screens for gastrointestinal bleeding, and it can help diagnose colon cancer in its early stages so that it can possibly be cured. The way it works is that it collects a sample that is then analyzed. The colon cancer screening kit gets sent directly to you from HealthCheckUSA, and then you collect samples and mail the kit in a pre-addressed envelope to the laboratory so you can get your results after it’s been analyzed.

Getting a negative colon cancer screening doesn’t mean that the possibility of colon cancer is completely ruled out. The same goes for a positive screening: it doesn’t mean you absolutely have cancer. Hemorroids, anal fissures and Crohn’s Disease are some things that could be the reason for blood in your stool. You’ll want to contact your doctor if you experience any symptoms or abnormal results from the at-home colon cancer screening.

Colon Cancer Runs in the Family

Tuesday, January 29th, 2008

Roots of Colon Cancer

Colon cancer has roots in some of the first to make America their new home. Research done by the University of Utah has traced a gene mutation for colon cancer all the way back to some of the very first settlers to the New World.

Mr. and Mrs. George Frye are genetically responsible for a significant number of colon cancer cases today. Those with the mutation almost a 70% chance of getting colon cancer, compared with 4% of those who do not carry the gene.

Symptoms of Colon Cancer

Colon cancer, also known as colorectal cancer, is the third leading cause of cancer death in the United States. Colon cancer starts as benign polyps, abnormal growths in the large intestine. These polyps later become cancerous. Symptoms include diarrhea, abdominal pain and unknown weight loss.

Screen for Colon Cancer

Don’t know if the Fryes are your distant relatives? Good news. Colon cancer can be treated if diagnosed early. HealthCheckUSA offers a fecal occult blood test (FOBT) as a colon cancer screening. The test screens for gastrointestinal bleeding and can help diagnose colon cancer in its early stages.